HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Police Department continues to investigate the fatal shooting and robbery at Thai Thai Healthy Cuisine restaurant on Valentine’s Day.
It has been nearly two weeks since GPD launched a homicide investigation after Sumittra Lairopi was shot as she was walking out of the Tamuning eatery and had her car stolen.
In the first week of the investigation, police announced several suspects were questioned. Police then arrested Domingo Mendiola and Jenna Manibusan. Mendiola and Manibusan were charged in connection to the shooting. Manibusan’s case, however, was dismissed without prejudice due to lack of probable cause.
Following the arrests, GPD spokesperson Officer Berlyn Savella said the investigation is ongoing as officers were “out in the field and working on the case furthering follow-ups.”
On Monday, Savella confirmed to The Guam Daily Post the investigation was still open. However, no other details, such as additional suspects or if there will be any additional arrests, were disclosed. Additionally, details around initial reports of there being a second male with Mendiola on the night of the shooting have not been confirmed.
During investigations, the department often does not make certain details public to protect the integrity of their investigation.
What we know
Since Mendiola and Manibusan were charged, some details were revealed in the magistrate’s complaint filed by the Office of the Attorney General.
Charging documents state a woman who was with Lairopi confirmed to police that a man wearing a white ski mask, later identified as Mendiola, initially tried to open the locked doors of the restaurant before shooting Lairopi later that night and stealing Lairopi’s car.
Officers later found a vehicle close to the scene that assisted police in finding the names of the possible suspects.
An unnamed witness spoke with police as well and admitted to being aware of the robbery and shooting and stated Mendiola “discussed a plan to rob someone.”
The witness also said Mendiola needed money for an “owed drug debt,” according to the complaint.
The witness told investigators that Mendiola and Manibusan were going to rob a different woman, but the woman went into a residence before they could complete the robbery.
Mendiola allegedly claimed “he didn’t know anything about the shooting,” the complaint stated.
Thai Thai Healthy Cuisine restaurant in Tamuning on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
